The Rock 'n' Roll Years

Season 4

Music from a particular year is played and seen against clips of news and events of the time.

Where to Watch The Rock 'n' Roll Years • Season 4

9 Episodes

1981
E1
1981Highlights from the music and news headlines of 1981, when Ronald Reagan became the USA's 40th president; Charles and Diana got married; and there were riots in inner cities across Britain. Includes music from Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Kim Carnes and the Specials.
1982
E2
1982The year in which Mark Thatcher (son of the prime minister) was lost and found in the Sahara; Erica Roe streaked at Twickenham; Freddie Laker and John de Lorean lost their businesses; The Falklands War; Prince William was born; the Tudor warship the Mary Rose was raised from the sea bed; and Channel Four began transmissions. Music from The Stranglers, Toni Basil, ABC, The England World Cup Squad, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Culture Club, Kid Creole and the Coconuts and Madness.
1983
E3
1983Margaret Thatcher was elected for a second term, Cecil Parkinson resigned from the Cabinet, Niel Kinnock became leader of the Labour Party, Ronald Reagan introduced `Star Wars', Cruise missiles arrived at Greenham Common, CDs and the £1 coin were launched, Racehorse Shergar disappeared and bodypopping and breakdancing were the rage. Music includes U2 (`New Year's Day'), Michael Jackson (`Billie Jean'), David Bowie (`Let's Dance'), Eurythmics (`Sweet Dreams'), The Police (`Every Breath You Take'), Elton John (I'm Still Standing'), The Smiths `(This Charming Man') and Prince and the Revolution (`1999').
1984
E4
1984Highlights of the music and news from 1984. A year which included the miners strike, the Brighton Bomb, Mrs Gandhi's assassination, the Libyan Embassy siege and Los Angeles Olympics. Music comes from Madonna, Queen, Wham!, Tina Turner, Band Aid, Talking Heads etc.
1985
E5
1985The news and music of 1985. Includes, Gorbachev becoming the new soviet leader, Live Aid, Heysel Stadium disaster, rioting in Handsworth, Brixton and Tottenham. The music comes from King, The Cure, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Wham! and Simply Red.
1986
E6
1986A look back at the news of 1986, including Chernobyl, the Challenger disaster and Maradona's goals against England in the World Cup in Mexico. Peter Gabriel, Chris de Burgh and the Housemartins provide the soundtrack.
1987
E7
1987The year that Terry Waite was kidnapped in Beirut, Prince Edward left the Marines and the Duchess of York obtained her wings as a helicopter pilot. The `Herald of Free Enterprise' sank and Michael Ryan killed 16 people in Hungerford. Margaret Thatcher won her third term in office and `Black Monday' made it an extraordinary October on the stock exchange. Music: The Mission `Wasteland', The Beastie Boys 'You Gotta Fight', Pet Shop Boys `It's a Sin', Bananarama `Love in the First Degree', New Order 'True Faith', U2 `I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' and The Proclaimers `Letter From America'.
1988
E8
1988Music and news from 1988. Red nose day was launched, Reagan made his first visit to USSR and George Bush is elected to the White House. The year ends with the Lockerbie bomb, the Clapham rail disaster and the Armenian earthquake. Includes music from George Michael ("Faith"), Kylie Minogue ("I should be so lucky"), Aztec Camera ("Somewhere in my heart"), Michael Jackson ("Another part of me"), INXS ("Need you tonight") and Roy Orbison ("You got it").
1989
E9
1989Music and news from 1989. The Fatwa was ordered on Salman Rushdie, the Guildford Four were released, the students were massacred in Tiananmen Square, the Exxon Valdes ran aground, and the Berlin Wall came down. Music was from, Fine Young Cannibals, Guns n Roses, Sam Brown, Cliff Richard, Madonna, Neneh Cherry and Lisa Stansfield.